Take up issues concerning Assam with Bangladesh: Gogoi urges Modi

Guwahati, June 2 (IANS) Just days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday urged him to take up issues concerning Assam with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his two-day visit to the neighbouring country.

Gogoi said Modi should take up the matter to bolster water and surface communication of Assam with Bangladesh and introduce rail links to utilise the geographical proximity in order to harvest optimum benefit in trade and commerce.

Modi will visit Bangladesh on June 6-7.

Gogoi requested the prime minister to raise the issue of cross-border infiltration with his Bangladeshi counterpart.

He also requested Modi to take up the issue related to deporting illegal infiltrators detected in Assam by the Foreigners’ Tribunal.

Issues like rail, road and water connectivity, boosting economic engagement and expanding security cooperation are likely to be major focus areas during Modi’s visit to Bangladesh.

The visit also follows parliament’s approval to a constitution amendment bill that provides for implementation of the 1974 land boundary agreement between the two neighbours.